This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In order to meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in finding and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired subterranean resource such as oil or natural gas is discovered, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is accessed or extracted. These wellhead assemblies may include a wide variety of components, such as casing heads, tubing heads, valves, and other connected components, that facilitate drilling or extraction operations.
In some instances, balls (e.g., frac balls used for fracturing operations) are used in wells to actuate downhole components, to seal the wells, or to carry out other functions. These balls are often pumped down wells with pressurized fluids (e.g., fracturing fluid) to perform their intended functions. Pressure at the wellhead can then be lowered so that pressurized fluid in the wellbore returns the balls to the surface.